Man storms courthouse in New York state, firing shotgun

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York state gunman with a grudge against the mayor of Middletown stormed a courthouse on Wednesday, firing a shotgun and wounding a court officer before he was shot dead by police.

Tim Mulqueen, 43, charged into the Middletown City Court in Orange County, about 70 miles north of New York City, and demanded to speak with Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano, police said.

Mulqueen fired a shotgun blast at two officers before police shot him, and he was later declared dead at Orange Regional Medical Center. Police said one of the officers suffered an injury to his arm but it did not appear to be life threatening.

According to court documents, Mulqueen was already scheduled for a court appearance after he was arrested on menacing charges in August for showing up at DeStefano’s home with a machete.

Police said Mulqueen had a longstanding grudge against the mayor but declined to elaborate on the dispute or on why he entered the courthouse on Wednesday.